32nd Street

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See also South 32nd Street, which was named 32nd Street until 1881.
32nd Street
Neighborhoods Polish Hill, Strip District
Origin of name Sequential numbering up the Allegheny River
Wilson Street (until 1868)
Origin of name James Wilson

The seven streets from 26th Street to 32nd Street were originally named for seven of the nine Pennsylvania delegates who signed the Declaration of Independence, in the order of their signatures: 26th Street was Morris Street, for Robert Morris; 27th Street was Rush Street, for Benjamin Rush; 28th Street was Morton Street, for John Morton; 29th Street was Clymer Street, for George Clymer; 30th Street was Smith Street, for James Smith; 31st Street was Taylor Street, for George Taylor; and 32nd Street was Wilson Street, for James Wilson.[1] (The other two Pennsylvania signers, Benjamin Franklin and George Ross, were skipped because Pittsburgh already had a Franklin Street and a Ross Street.)[2][1]

Bruce S. Cridlebaugh suggests instead that Wilson Street may have been named for Col. George Wilson, a Westmoreland County judge in 1773.[3] But the names of these streets together, and their order, makes it clear that they were named for the signers of the Declaration.[1]

In 1868, Pittsburgh's modern sequence of numbered streets was created by renaming all the streets perpendicular to the Allegheny River; Wilson Street became 32nd Street.[3][4][5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 George T. Fleming. "Famous names abandoned." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Jan. 3, 1915, sec. 6, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85750499. [view source]fleming-abandoned
  2. The Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny, with Parts of Adjacent Boroughs, Pennsylvania. 1855. Historic Pittsburgh DARMAP0089; https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~1688~130047; 1855 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). In George W. Colton, Colton's Atlas of the World: Illustrating physical and political geography, J. H. Colton & Co., New York, 1856 (https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/search?q=Pub_List_No%3D0149.000). [view source]colton
  3. 3.0 3.1 Bruce S. Cridlebaugh. "Field notes: Changing Pittsburgh street names—from downtown to Lawrenceville." Pghbridges.com: Bridges & tunnels of Allegheny County & Pittsburgh, PA, Feb. 9, 2000. http://pghbridges.com/articles/fieldnote_pghstnames.htm. [view source]cridlebaugh
  4. Sarah H. Killikelly. The History of Pittsburgh: Its rise and progress, p. 534. B. C. & Gordon Montgomery Co., Pittsburgh, 1906. DonsList.net HistPgh1909M; Google Books kXmloex-vr8C, poRU0YjqrzsC; HathiTrust 100122020; Historic Pittsburgh 00adc8925m; Internet Archive historyofpittsbu00kill, historypittsbur00killgoog. [view source]killikelly
  5. "An ordinance changing the names of streets." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1868. Passed Aug. 31, 1868. In The Municipal Record: Containing the proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh: 1868, Pittsburgh Daily Commercial, Pittsburgh (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1868_20200904_2014). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Gazette, Sept. 2, 1868, p. 5 (Newspapers.com 86347563), Sept. 3, p. 3 (Newspapers.com 86347623), and Sept. 4, p. 3 (Newspapers.com 86347714). [view source]ordinance-1868-name-changes